Steele Among Friends
by Angel16
Summary: Crossover story between Scarecrow and Mrs. King and Remington Steele. Family ties and intrigue bring our two favorite couples together.


Steele Among Friends  
By: Angel Koerkel  
Email: ajk070371@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimers: Scarecrow and Mrs. King belongs to WB and STM. Remington Steele belongs to its owner. This story is the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Written: May - September 2002  
  
Summary: Crossover story between Scarecrow and Mrs. King and Remington Steele. Family ties and intrigue bring our two favorite couples together.  
  
Rated: PG-13 at the most  
  
Timeline: Spring 1986. SMK world: just after "Three Little Spies". RS world: just after "Beg, Borrow, or Steele".  
  
Feedback: I'd love it! The more the better. Please send comments to the email listed above. This has not been beta-ed. Please, no flames.  
  
Archive: At the SMK fanfic archive, the RS archive, and at ff.n (both pages). Anywhere else, please ask first.  
  
Notes: This is my first attempt at Remington Steele fiction. I tried to stay true to character and canon for both shows, please let me know your thoughts on my success or failure.  
  
  
Prologue:  
  
The flight over the heartland was tedious to say the least. To make matters worse, the non-stop trip from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. was packed. Laura Holt reclined back in her first class seat, a luxury she seldom allowed herself but she needed space both literally and figuratively and so she had declined the more economical choice of coach seating. Now she was glad she had. Her head pounded and she squeezed her eyes shut as she fiercely rubbed her temples. 'If only that damned scene would stop replaying in my head!' she thought. As she winced even more, it began again.   
  
She was reclining on Mr. Steele's sofa [Even in my mind I can't call him 'Remington'! Ugh!] with her head in his lap. It occurred to her that she was quite content there, her eyes peacefully closed, her breathing shallow, an empty wineglass on the table, as he stroked her hair back from her face and the firelight played across them both. It was almost perfect, she thought.   
  
Then, she heard him sigh and take in another breath. He sounded as if he wanted to say something, but she pretended not to notice. "Laura," he began haltingly; "I've been thinking. I learned a lot about myself last weekend."   
  
Eyes still closed, she responded, "Really. Like what?" she asked in a mildly curious but sleepy voice.  
  
"When we were wandering the streets, not a penny to our names, I realized that there's no one I'd rather be homeless with." He smiled a quirky smile and twirled her hair around his finger.  
  
"Uh huh," Laura replied with a hesitant tone. She wasn't sure where this was headed, but she was suddenly very nervous. Untangling herself from his hands, she sat up slowly. She turned to face him on the sofa, one leg bent up across it. "That's very nice, I think. But, is that really something you learned about yourself?"  
  
She was teasing him and he knew it. He knew her so well. He knew that as soon as he tried to turn serious she would resort to jestering to lighten the mood. For all her talk about his fear of commitment, he knew who in this relationship was afraid, and it certainly wasn't him. "Well, in a way, yes. Because, you see, that helped me to realize something else."  
  
'Here it comes,' she thought. 'How can I get out of here quick?'  
  
He leaned in toward her slightly, taking her hand in his. Dropping his voice almost to a whisper and lowering his eyes to stare at her fingers interlaced with his, he said, "Laura, I lo..."  
  
Jumping up, she grabbed her purse before he could get the word out. "Oh my gosh! Would you look at how late it is!" She glanced at her wrist despite the fact that she wasn't wearing a watch. "I really have to go now. I'll see you Monday at the office." And she was gone.  
  
The stewardess announced their descent into Dulles just as the dreaded event started to replay yet again. 'Thank Heaven,' she thought.  
  
Part 1:  
  
"Mother! I'm leaving. I should be home in time for dinner." Amanda King called up the stairs.   
  
Dotty West heard the front door close before she could answer. She looked out an upstairs window and saw Amanda walk down the street. 'Now where on Earth is she going? I mean, I know I need the car today, but she doesn't have to walk to a bus stop. I could've given her a ride.'  
  
Slightly down the street, and out of sight, sat a shiny silver Corvette. Lee Stetson climbed out and hurried over to the passenger side to open the door for Amanda. "Thanks so much for the ride, Lee. Mother needed the car today, and I would have asked her to drive me in, but it would've been in the complete opposite direction of where she was going."  
  
Lee returned to his seat and put the car into gear. As they took off down the road, he answered his partner. "No problem, Amanda. I don't mind. Besides, it gives us some time to talk without being interrupted." He smiled a boyish grin at her and took her hand. He had never really had a woman that he could talk with before; not that he'd ever wanted one. But with Amanda it was different. He found he enjoyed their conversations immensely and always looked forward to spending time just chatting with her. They drove on to work discussing the little things of life.  
  
Part 1a:  
  
The telephone ringing that afternoon was a welcome reprieve from the pile of paperwork on his desk as Lee answered it. "Q-Bureau. Stetson here."  
  
Amanda looked up from her filing in the open vault to see if she would soon be needed for another assignment. Lee's smile greeted her as he held the phone out. "It's for you."  
  
"Oh. Thank you." Taking the phone from him, she spoke into it. "This is Amanda King."  
  
"Amanda. Thank God! Do you know how hard it is to reach you at work? I must have been transferred a dozen times, and that was after they admitted that you do actually work there. Jeez, if I didn't know better, I'd swear your job was a national secret or something."   
  
"Laura? Is that you? Oh my goodness! It's been ages since we talked!" Amanda peeked at Lee from the corner of her eye and could tell from his posture that his curiosity was piqued.  
  
"I know. Listen, Amanda, I'm in town for a little while and was wondering if you'd like to get together." The background noise of the airport was deafening as Laura covered her open ear with her free hand.  
  
"I'd love to! Where are you? It's terribly loud."  
  
"I'm at Dulles right now, but I'm going to go find a hotel as soon as I can get a rental car. When is good for you?" Laura knew she sounded desperate to meet with Amanda, but hoped that the noisy atmosphere covered it up.  
  
"First things first. No hotel. If you're in town, you're staying with me. I won't take no for answer, Laura Holt. The boys can bunk together for a few days. It's no bother at all. Let me see if I can get out of here early today and I'll meet you at the house." She glanced hopefully at Lee who quickly nodded his assent. "My boss doesn't have a problem with it, so I'll be home in about an hour. I'll probably beat you there. You remember how to get there?"  
  
"I can find it. I really appreciate this. I can't wait to see you! We have so much to catch up on." Laura was almost in tears over her relief. She couldn't explain it; she just knew that seeing Amanda would help her deal with the confusion she felt. "I better get a car and get going. See you soon. Bye."  
  
"Bye, Laura." Amanda hung up and smiled. Looking up, she saw Lee watching her. "That was Laura," she said as if that explained everything.   
  
"So I gathered," he laughed. "The question is, who is Laura?"  
  
"I haven't mentioned her? That's odd. We were very close as children, even though we lived so far apart. We saw each other at all the family gatherings and it was if we spent every day together."  
  
"So she's a relative?" Lee asked, still not sure who she was exactly.  
  
"My cousin on my Mother's side. Her Mother and mine are twin sisters."   
  
Lee pretended to be shocked. Although he knew perfectly well that Dotty was a twin from Amanda's background check, he continued his teasing. "You mean that there are two of your Mother out there!"  
  
"Oh, Lee. She's not that bad." She playfully slapped him on the arm before reaching past him to get her purse. "I just remembered, I didn't drive today. A taxi is going to cost a fortune!"  
  
"Let me take you. You can tell me all about this cousin of yours!" With a grateful smile from Amanda, he grabbed his jacket and led her to the door.  
  
Part 2:  
  
The man commonly known, at least in the area of Southern California, as Remington Steele breezed through the glass doors of 'his' agency. "Good morning, Miss Krebbs. Is Miss Holt in yet?" he asked as he headed toward her office.  
  
Puzzled, Mildred looked up. "You mean you didn't know that she left town?"  
  
Without missing a beat, he performed a perfect U-turn. "What exactly do you mean, 'left town', Mildred?" He placed his hands on her desk.  
  
"I mean: packed a bag, went to the airport, caught a plane, and poof! Gone."  
  
"Where precisely did Miss Holt 'poof' to? If its not too much trouble."  
  
"Well, she didn't say I couldn't tell you, but then again I figured you already knew, so I didn't ask." The older woman looked pained by the indecision. Not so long ago it would've been a no brainer, but that was before she knew the dirty little secret about who Mr. Steele really was, or rather wasn't.  
  
"Mildred! Where is she?" His voice was not loud, but still demanding as he leaned further across the desk.  
  
"Oh boss, she caught the first flight this morning to D.C."  
  
"Why in God's name would she go there?" He wondered aloud as he turned and strode to his office. Stopping short of his door, he faced the reception area. "Mildred, get me on the next possible plane to Washington. Then, find out where she's staying. Trace her credit cards. I want to know where she is." Before she could answer him, he was in his office with the door closed.  
  
He picked up the phone and dialed the first person he thought of, but probably the last one Laura would. "Abigail?......Yes, it's Remington Steele...... Good to hear you too. ........Um, I was wondering, have you heard from Laura lately?......... You haven't. ........ Oh, no, no. Nothing to worry about. Seems she decided to take an impromptu trip to Washington D.C. and I thought you might have a number for her. ........ Just some agency business that needs her attention. ......... Right. ......... Well, all right then. If you do hear from her, don't mention I called. No need to make her worry about the office while she's off. ......... Yes, yes; well, then good day, Abigail." He leaned into the phone as he said his good-byes and hung up. 'Damn. Well, old boy, you knew it was a long shot. Now what, Sherlock?' He laughed at his unintentional joke in spite of himself.  
  
A rapping at the door was quickly followed by Mildred's entrance. "I've got you on the next plane out of here, which will put you in Washington about 9:00 p.m. I haven't found anything on Miss Holt's card except a rental car. No hotel, no food, bupkus!"  
  
"Very well then, Mildred. I'll have to do this the old fashioned way, eh? I'll be gone a few days, cancel whatever you need to and hold down the fort, will you? Okay, then. I'm off." He walked purposefully across the room and Mildred heard the outer office door close behind him.  
  
Part 3:  
  
Laura pulled up to the average, but pleasant, white house on Maplewood about 4:30 in the afternoon. She took a deep breath and pulled herself from the car. As she approached the door, hand held aloft to knock, it opened and the image of her mother confronted her. "Laura, dear! Come in, come in. I can't believe it! Look at you!" Dotty turned briefly toward the stairs, "Amanda, she's here!" As she turned back to Laura, she pulled the small woman into an embrace.  
  
"Hello, Aunt Dotty. How are you?" Laura politely inquired.  
  
"I'm fine, but I haven't flown across the country today." The whirlwind that was Dotty West dragged Laura into the living room as Amanda descended the stairs, followed by Phillip and Jamie, who went directly to the front door to retrieve Laura's bags and carry them upstairs.  
  
After the usual pleasantries and a simple dinner, Amanda and Laura wandered to the backyard to talk. They sat in the gazebo and silently looked at the stars. "So, Laura, what brings you all the way to D.C.? A case?"  
  
"No," a mumbled voice responded. "I just needed to get away for awhile." Her eyes glistened with moisture as she held on to her self-control.  
  
Shocked by the suddenly emotional Laura, Amanda reached out to her. Hugging her tightly, she said, "Laura, what's wrong? Let me help you." Her voice was soft and sincere and it broke through all of Laura's barricades. She started sobbing and couldn't stop. Finally, the crying abated and the women leaned back from each other slightly.   
  
"Oh, Amanda, I don't even know where to begin. I've made such a mess of everything."  
  
"Now it can't be that bad. Whatever it is, we'll work it out together."  
  
"I really don't want to talk about it tonight. I'm exhausted and confused. Maybe tomorrow we could go out, somewhere private," she inclined her head toward the house, "and talk some more. Until then, could I just hide out in your attic?" She smiled at the reference to Amanda's childhood.  
  
Laughing, Amanda answered, "All right, I'll let you off the hook for tonight, but we are going to have a chat and I'm sure it will all seem better once you get it out in the open. That's what I always tell the boys, anyway." Arms around each other, the women returned to the house.  
  
Part 4:  
  
When Remington Steele opened the door to his hotel room, it was after 11:00 p.m. 'It's too late to do anything tonight,' he thought to himself. 'Better to get some rest and start fresh first thing in the morning.' As he went through his routine preparing for bed he let his mind wander back to the past weekend. The warm water of the shower ran over his head while the images came to mind.   
  
He and Laura were relaxing on his sofa. He felt so comfortable, content. He thought about the past weekend and their penniless adventure. Despite the situation, he had felt at peace. He knew why, and now he wanted to share his feelings. For the first time in his life, he knew that he could stay here forever and be happy about it. In fact, he very much wanted to stay forever with the beautiful woman lying across his lap. He twirled her hair in his fingers as he worked up the courage to tell her how he felt.   
  
As soon as he opened his mouth, he knew it was a mistake. He felt her tense, almost imperceptibly. He continued anyway. He had to say it; he had to acknowledge the feelings before his heart exploded. Against his logical judgement, his emotions carried him forward, he started to admit it, "Laura, I lo...."   
  
She was gone. He wasn't sure how it happened, one second she was there and the next he was alone. He sat dumbstruck for several minutes, staring at the closed door, hoping she would return. Finally, he had to admit to himself that she simply wasn't coming back that night. He decided that it was okay, that there would be other nights. Eventually, she would know how he felt, if he had to tie her up and gag her, the time would come.   
  
Now, out of the shower, Remington brushed his teeth. He was surprised to see doubt on the face of the man staring back from the mirror. "What?" he questioned aloud after rinsing his mouth. He began a verbal dispute with himself. "What? You think I shouldn't tell her, don't you? Why not? Why the bloody hell should I not tell her that I love her?" Remington started pacing back and forth in front of the vanity. "She says she wants a commitment, well how's this? 'Laura, I love you. I have loved you for a very long time. I will always love you.' If that's not a commitment, I don't know what is. Why should I be made to feel guilty for loving her?" He stopped pacing and faced himself again. Remington Steele rested his hands on the cold, uncaring porcelain of the sink as he hung his head down. "Why can't she ever let us be happy?" he whispered softly. After visibly calming himself, he looked up again. Sighing deeply, he said resignedly, "Fine. She wins. Now, if I can just find her."  
  
Part 5:  
  
Amanda and Laura sat at an outdoor café. "Thanks so much for spending the day with me, Amanda. Are you sure your boss doesn't mind you taking time off on such short notice?" Laura asked before taking a sip of her iced tea.  
  
"It's fine, really. We just finished a project, so we're catching up on paperwork. He can do that without me. Besides, it'll be good for him!" She sat forward in her seat and reached across the small table to take Laura's hand in hers. Her face turned serious as she continued, "Now, Laura, don't you think it's time you talk to me? What's bothering you?"  
  
Laura looked into the caring face of her cousin. "It's about a man," she began hesitantly.  
  
"I could've guessed that much!" Amanda smiled.  
  
Laura opened her mouth to respond just as a waiter approached from behind Amanda. The women started to look up at him, but were startled as he revealed the gun hidden under a towel draped across his forearm. "Mrs. King," the man began quietly, "come with me." He gestured toward Laura with his head. "Your friend, too please."  
  
Amanda's eyes left the weapon and moved to the man's face. Her eyes darkened, out of fear or anger Laura couldn't tell. "Glen Tucker," Amanda stated.  
  
"I'm so touched that you remember me. Now, ladies..." he gestured again for them to rise. They stood slowly and followed him out to a plain sedan. He pushed Laura into the passenger seat and Amanda into the back. As he slid next to Laura he pointed his gun at her, "I don't know who your friend here is, Mrs. King, but I know she's not Agency. So, if you don't want her to get hurt, you'll sit quietly and enjoy the ride."  
  
Part 6:  
  
Lee knocked on Billy's office door even as he walked in. "You wanted to see me, Billy?"  
  
"Where's Amanda?" the older man barked.  
  
"She took the day off. What's up?" Lee sat down as Billy stood and began pacing.  
  
"I just received word that Glen Tucker escaped Federal custody last night. He killed two guards in the process."  
  
Lee was on his feet immediately. "How the hell did that happen?" he shouted, running a hand through his hair. He thought back to a year earlier when Tucker had killed his boss, Byron Jordan, and framed Amanda for the crime. Of course, later Amanda had been instrumental in aiding in his capture.  
  
"He was being transferred to a medical facility after complaining of severe abdominal pain. Apparently, en route he overcame and killed the guards. He left their bodies along the highway and took the car. It was found abandoned less than two miles from Amanda's house early this morning." At Lee's look, he held up a hand placatingly. "Don't worry, I already have teams tailing both boys and her Mother." Billy returned to his seat while Lee picked up the pacing.  
  
Momentarily relieved about the boys and Dotty, his anxiety quickly returned. "She could be anywhere, Billy. She was taking her cousin sight-seeing all day." He pulled a hand through his hair. "What if he's got her already?"  
  
"Lee, we don't know he's planning anything," Billy offered, but his voice faltered when he saw Lee's expression of disbelief. "All right, he's probably planning something, but we don't know that he's gotten to her already, so let's try to stay calm."  
  
"I'll be calm when I know Amanda's safe." With that, Lee threw open the door and marched out through the bullpen.  
  
Part 7:  
  
In the backseat, Amanda's mind was in over-drive. She had told her Mother not to expect them home for dinner, that they would go out. She glanced at her watch; it was just after 1:00 now. It would be hours before anyone would realize they were gone. She decided to play the only card she had right now and hope for the best. "You know, Mr. Tucker, you're right." He glanced at her in the rear-view mirror, but kept the gun pointed at Laura. "Really, what about?"  
  
"You don't know my friend and she doesn't know you. Why don't you let her go? Keep this between us." She held her breath waiting for his reply.  
  
He began to laugh as if this was the best joke he'd heard in a long time. "I don't think so, Mrs. King. We wouldn't want her to go running back to your partner, now would we?"  
  
Laura's eyes danced back and forth between them during the exchange. The man, Tucker Amanda had called him, had mentioned an Agency. What did that mean? And Amanda seemed as if being kidnapped at gunpoint were the most normal thing in the world. 'I don't think she's even broken a sweat!'  
  
Laura looked out the window to see that they had arrived in a warehouse district. Before long, the car stopped and he ushered them into a dilapidated building.  
  
After securing them to a girder, he surveyed his handy work. The pair was placed on opposite sides of the beam, back to back. Then, he'd handcuffed Amanda's right hand to Laura's left and vice versa.  
  
"Ladies, it's been fun, but I've got to talk to a man about a trade. So long." He turned and left as they began testing their restraints.  
  
Part 8:  
  
Remington Steele let himself into his hotel room and headed straight for the honor bar. Before reaching it, he noticed the blinking light on the telephone. He quickly dialed the operator's extension to receive his message. He was told to call a Miss Mildred Krebbs immediately. He asked the operator for an outside line and punched in the Agency's number.   
  
The phone rang several times and Remington looked at his watch. 'Not lunch time there yet; where could she be?' Just as he was about to hang up, Mildred answered. "Remington Steele Investigations. May I help you?"  
  
"You certainly may. Mildred, where were you?"  
  
"Sorry, chief, but a girl's gotta go sometime, ya know. I think we may have a lead on Miss Holt," she continued excitedly.  
  
"It's about bloody time! I've been to every hotel within a twenty-mile radius of the airport this morning, showing her picture to everyone I could find. No one has seen her."  
  
"Well, Mrs. Holt called first thing this morning. She said she didn't think of it at the time, but when you said that Miss Holt went to D.C. it struck a cord. Anyway, she realized late last night that Miss Holt might be visiting with her cousin, Amanda King. She lives in Arlington."  
  
"Ah, Mildred, I could kiss you. You're a doll. Keep running Laura's credit cards, just in case, eh? I'm going to check in with this Mrs. King." He was out the door before the phone settled in the cradle.  
  
Part 9:  
  
As Amanda began looking for a way out, she mentally berated herself for not taking Leatherneck's course on basic lock picking yet. "When I get out of here, that's the first thing I'm signing up for!" she said out loud.  
  
"What?" Laura asked, trying to see Amanda out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Sorry, it's nothing."  
  
"Listen, Amanda," Laura said, "I know I'm new to D.C. and all, and I've heard that you guys have a pretty high crime rate around here, but I somehow doubt that Arlington housewives get kidnapped everyday." Again Laura tried in vain to see around the beam. "Do you have something you want to tell me about?"  
  
"It's a very long story," Amanda sighed.  
  
"I'd say we have plenty of time."  
  
"Tell you what, Laura, I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours first."  
  
"Deal! Amanda," she hesitated, "can you keep a secret?"  
  
Amanda laughed so hard she cried.  
  
Part 10:  
  
Lee Stetson wasn't sure what he hoped to gain by going to Amanda's house, but he drove there anyway. He was checking in with the team watching Dotty when a flashy convertible pulled in the driveway. While the team ran a check on the plates, Lee moved to the shadows closer to the house. He saw the tall, dark man emerge from the driver's side and walk briskly to the front door. He moved closer still in the hopes of hearing whatever conversation transpired.  
  
Dotty opened the door with her usual flourish. She smiled up at the handsome stranger. "Can I help you?"  
  
"I certainly hope so," the man spoke with a precise accent. "Is this Amanda King's residence?"   
  
"Yes, it is, but she's not in now. I'm her Mother, Dotty West. Is there something I can do for you?" Dotty's eyes lit up at the sound of his voice.  
  
"I'm Laura Holt's business associate, Remington Steele. It seems that there was a bit of a miscommunication between myself and Miss Holt. She left rather unexpectedly and I really must speak with her as soon as possible, but she didn't leave a number where she could be reached." Here he hesitated, as if afraid the door might be closed in his face at any moment. "Is she here?"  
  
Lee was surprised by the uncertain tone in Mr. Steele's voice. This certainly did not look like a man with any confidence problems.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Steele, but Laura is out with Amanda all day. I'd be happy to take a message and have her call you tonight."  
  
Looking quite disappointed, he smiled a crooked smile and thanked Dotty. "That's quite all right. Thank you, Mrs. West. I'll call on her again another time. Please don't mention that I was here. There's really no need for her to be worried about work when she's on holiday."  
  
Mr. Steele headed back toward his rented vehicle and reached for the door handle. Before he could open it though, Lee called out to him from along the side of the house. "Mr. Steele?"  
  
Remington looked up to see a man hiding in the shadows of the house. He tilted his head to the side and then glanced around to see if he was being set up. When he saw no one else, he approached the man. "Maybe. Who might you be?"  
  
"My name is Lee Stetson. I think we need to talk."  
  
"Here? In the shadows?"  
  
"Well, yes, Mrs. West doesn't know me." Lee realized how bizarre this must sound, but he continued. "Let's go somewhere else and I'll explain everything." At Mr. Steele's questioning look he nodded toward the rental car in the driveway. "You can drive. I know this seems odd, but you have to trust me, Mr. Steele. Laura's life may depend on it."  
  
Remington nodded once and the two of them climbed into the car and drove away.  
  
Part 11:  
  
"So, let me get this straight," Amanda said. "You invented Remington Steele? He doesn't exist?"  
  
"Well," Laura hesitated, "he does now. See, that's the thing."  
  
Amanda was silent, waiting for Laura to continue. When she didn't, Amanda asked, "So who is he? This fake Remington Steele. Where does he come from? Who is he really?"  
  
"Oh, Amanda, if I knew the answers to those questions my life would be so much easier." She proceeded to tell her cousin about the man pretending to be her boss.  
  
After the long explanation of everything she knew about Remington Steele, Laura paused. The next words out of her shocked them both. "I think maybe I'm falling in love with him."  
  
"I don't understand the problem. I mean, I know his past is a little shady, but you said that he was done with all that. So, what's the hold up?"  
  
"I am so scared." Laura took a deep breath and closed her eyes before continuing. "What if he leaves me?" she asked in a soft whisper.  
  
Amanda knew all about Laura's father's disappearing act, of course, but she hadn't realized how deeply scarred she had been. "All I can tell you Laura is that there are no guarantees, but when it works, I mean really works, it's worth it. It really is worth the risk of your heart."  
  
"I don't know about that, Amanda. I mean, I tried once before and got burned. I don't know if I could survive that again."  
  
"So, what brought all this about now?"  
  
Laura sighed and then told Amanda about the encounter the previous weekend at Mr. Steele's apartment. "He was going to tell me that he loved me. I wasn't ready to hear it; I'm too confused about whether or not to trust him. After dashing out like that, I certainly couldn't face him at work Monday, and I knew that talking to you would help. So, I got on a plane, and here I am."  
  
"I don't know what help I can be, but I'm so glad you think of me that way." Amanda was truly touched by Laura's admission. Pausing, Amanda tried to decide if she should share her observation with Laura. She opted to share. "Laura, has it occurred to you, that while you are so worried about whether or not you can trust him, you are the one that ran out when it was about to get intense?"  
  
Laura nodded, then realized that Amanda couldn't see her. "Yes, I know," she whispered. Fighting back tears, she took a deep breath. "Now," Laura started, sounding energized, "that's enough about me for a while. I believe you owe me a story." She smiled at the prospect of hearing Amanda's secret.  
  
"Actually, there's not much to tell."  
  
"Oh, come on. You promised." Laura sounded like a petulant child.  
  
"Really." Amanda wondered how much she should tell Laura. Obviously, she had to tell her something, considering the situation they were in, but where should she draw the line? And, how mad would Lee be with her later? "Okay, it goes like this. I had taken an old boyfriend to the train station one morning, well at the time he wasn't an old boyfriend. I mean, I was still seeing him then, but now he's an old boyfriend. Anyway, after he got on the train, this man came out of nowhere and asked for my help. He said it was life and death. I turned him down at first, but something in his eyes when he asked me to trust him. I couldn't stop myself. The next thing I knew, I was involved in the world of an intelligence operative. It started out small. I'd run errands, do typing, that sort of thing, but before I knew it, I was being partnered with Lee more and more often."  
  
Laura was flabbergasted by this news. Whatever she expected, it hadn't been this. "Oh my...now what? Why are we in this mess now?"  
  
"Now I'm a part-time agent. I work with Lee, and we make a great team," she said with pride. As for today, I can't give you any details. National security, you understand. Suffice it to say that Lee and I were heavily involved in getting Mr. Tucker arrested last year. I don't know what he's doing here now. So far as I knew, he was still in federal custody."  
  
"Okay. That clears it all up," Laura replied sarcastically. "Now for the big question. How do we get out of here?"  
  
Part 12:  
  
As the convertible zipped along the highways of D.C., the two men studied each other in intense silence. Lee directed Mr. Steele toward Nedlinger's with a few uttered words in between the visual assessments. Finally, they arrived at the pub.  
  
After settling into a booth and ordering a couple of beers, Lee leveled his gaze at the ice blue eyes across from him. "All right, Mr. Stetson, we're here. Now, what do you need to tell me about?"  
  
"I'll cut to the chase, Mr. Steele. First of all, let me be perfectly clear that what I'm about to tell you is a matter of national security and you are obligated to keep it absolutely confidential."  
  
"National security? What does Laura have to do with anything concerning national security, eh?" Mr. Steele's anger rose as he feared this stranger had lured him here under false pretenses.  
  
"Not Laura, but Amanda. Amanda King is a federal agent and we have reason to believe that she may be in danger. If Miss Holt is with her, which I know she was this morning, she could also be in danger." Lee took a sip of his beer to give Remington a chance to digest this information.  
  
Mr. Steele tossed his head back and laughed. "Oh, you had me going for a minute there. Is there a camera somewhere? Is this a joke?" His laughter died as he looked again at Lee's face and realized this was not a prank. "You're serious? Mrs. West didn't seem concerned about Mrs. King's safety."  
  
Before he could continue, Lee interrupted. "Mrs. West doesn't know what Amanda does. For her own safety and that of Amanda's children, it has been kept secret from them."  
  
"And how is it that you know such details of Mrs. King's situation?"  
  
"I'm her partner," Lee replied quietly.  
  
Remington shot him a stony glare across the table. "Well, if you're her partner, where is she?"  
  
"I'm not sure right now," Lee admitted. "She called me this morning and said that they would be sight-seeing. I've already checked all the places she mentioned going and came up with nothing. They could be fine, just out of contact, but I have a bad feeling."  
  
Remington nodded as his eyes seemed to cloud over. He sat silently for a moment. If anything happened to Laura, he would blame himself. If he hadn't been about to tell her that he loved her, she never would've run off. "Damn," he swore softly under his breath. "This is my fault, she wouldn't have come to Washington if it weren't for me." He paused before looking back up at Lee. "Very well then, Mr. Stetson, what do we do?"  
  
"First, call me Lee. Second, we go to my office and find out what the latest news is." Together, the men headed out the door into the bright sunshine of the spring afternoon.  
  
Part 13:  
  
Remington looked down at his 'Visitor's Pass' pinned to his lapel and followed Lee toward what appeared to be a closet door at the rear of the foyer. "Lee, I'm not interested in hanging up my jacket. Can we please find out where the devil Laura and your Mrs. King are?" Mrs. Marsten smiled at the retreating men and shook her head. 'Civilians,' she thought.  
  
Lee ignored Remington's comments and continued on to the door. He opened it and gestured for Mr. Steele to enter. Upon the man's quizzical look, Lee entered first. Remington followed and was startled when he felt the closet move in a downward motion after Lee closed the door. "Who do you think you are, eh? James Bond?" Mr. Steele questioned. Lee just shook his head and chuckled.  
  
The pair entered the bullpen together and strode purposefully to Billy's office. "Where have you been, Lee?" Francine called across a row of cubicles. "Billy's been looking everywhere for you." She approached rapidly and intercepted the men, giving Remington an appreciative glance.  
  
"Why? What's going on? Have they found Amanda?" Lee rattled questions off so fast that Francine could hardly keep up. 'Good Lord, they've been working together too long. Now he's starting to ramble.' "No, not yet. But, he does have some information he needs to get your input on."  
  
"Well, then we'd better get right in there." Lee maneuvered around her slim form on one side while Remington went around the other. They walked into Billy's office without so much as a knock. "Billy, this is Remington Steele." Lee introduced him as they took seats opposite Billy's desk.  
  
"Mr. Steele." Billy nodded politely but curtly before turning back to Lee. "Lee, this is not a good time to bring in guests. No offense, Mr. Steele."  
  
"None taken, none taken. But, sir, I'm not really a guest; I'm Laura Holt's partner."  
  
Billy looked from this stranger to his agent and back again. Finally, settling on Lee's eyes he asked, "Okay, and who the hell is Laura Holt?"  
  
Exasperated, Lee replied, "She's Amanda's cousin, Billy, and she's missing too. She's also one of the top private detectives on the West Coast. Did you really think I'd waste time bringing someone in here that wasn't relevant to the situation? Now, what's going on?"  
  
Holding up his hands in apology, Billy moved on. "I see. All right then. We got a call from Tucker about an hour ago. He wants to deal. He walks, a one way trip out of the country, and a million dollars cash, or he kills Amanda." Looking over at Remington he continued, "and apparently Miss Holt as well."  
  
Sighing heavily, Lee looked down at his hands in his lap. Standing, pacing, he ran a hand through his hair. "How long do we have?" he asked softly.  
  
"He's due to call back in," Billy paused and looked down at his watch, "less than two hours."  
  
Remington stood and looked Lee hard in the eyes. "Well, mate. What's to think about, eh? We give this Tucker chap whatever he wants to get back our partners."  
  
Before Lee could respond, Billy answered. "It's not that easy, I'm afraid. The government policy is that we do not bargain. Our agents know the risks when they sign up. Period. End of sentence."  
  
Turning on Billy, Remington placed his hands on the man's desk. "Yeah, well, that's all well and good for you agents, but what about Laura, eh? She didn't agree to risk her life for the government. She probably doesn't even know that's what's happening. Am I right? She didn't know that Mrs. King was an agent, did she?" He looked back to Lee, who shook his head. "No," he said. "She didn't know about Amanda."  
  
"All right, then. We bargain for Laura's life, and get Mrs. King out in the process." Remington sounded pleased with himself, as if he'd come up with some great solution.  
  
"Listen, Mr. Steele, if we go by the book, there is really no way around this. When Tucker calls at five, I've got to tell him no deal."  
  
"Billy, come on," Lee started. "It may not be by the book, but it would hardly be the first time we've had to go under the table to get back one of our own. Hell, it wouldn't even be the first time I've broken the rules to get Amanda back."  
  
Remington looked at him in astonishment. "You mean, this sort of thing has happened before?" He and Laura had been through some tough scrapes, but he couldn't imagine this sort of stress on a regular basis.  
  
Lee almost laughed, as did Billy. "Occupational hazard." Lee left it at that. "Anyway, Billy," he continued, turning back to his boss, "let's get started setting up the sting. We need to tail Tucker to where ever he's keeping Amanda and Laura. Otherwise, we don't stand a chance of finding them."  
  
"You know my hands are tied, officially." Billy stood now, too and faced Lee. "However, I happen to know that we have several agents not on current assignments, just sitting out in that bullpen, waiting for a good training exercise." Walking to the door, the stout man opened it and bellowed, "Desmond! In my office, now!" Turning back toward the men present already, he smiled. "I just love doing that to her."  
  
Billy's sentence was barely finished when the tall blond from earlier entered the office. "You called?" She noticed the serious faces all around the room and prepared herself mentally for whatever was to follow.  
  
"We need to organize a training mission." Billy began filling her in on the plan, working out the details as he went.  
  
Part 14:  
  
Despite Amanda's and Laura's best efforts, they'd been unable to free themselves. "If only I had my lock-pick!" Laura groaned, not for the first time.  
  
As Laura's frustration grew, Amanda's eyes continued to scan the open expanse of the warehouse. "I'm sorry, Laura," she began. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be in this mess."  
  
Sighing heavily, Laura responded, "Amanda, I'm counting on your contacts to get us out of this mess."  
  
"Yeah," Amanda replied non-commitally. She knew the Agency policy on bargaining for agents. She smiled softly though as she thought of Lee and his determination. "Yeah," she said more strongly this time. Then she heard the massive door creak as it opened. Craning her head as far as she could, she saw a man's silhouette against the sunlit doorway. Laura could see more clearly and whispered, "It's Tucker again."  
  
He approached the girder where the women were bound. Circling around to Amanda's side, he ignored Laura completely. "Well, Mrs. King, I'm about to go make the phone call that could save your life. Is there anything you'd like me to share with your partner, in case I don't get the answer I want?" The smile on his face did not reach his eyes.  
  
"You know they won't make any deals. Why don't you let me friend go?" Amanda tried on last time to plead for Laura's life. He just chuckled and shook his head as he walked out again.  
  
Part 15:  
  
"All right people," Billy called to the crowded bullpen. "It's almost time for that phone call. Everybody ready?" General nods of consent came at him from around the room.   
  
Francine strode purposefully to stand beside the stout man. "Simmons and McCoy are in place staking out the phone booth the last call came from," she stated.  
  
Lee and Remington shared a glance. "Do you really think he'll use the same phone, Billy?" Lee asked incredulously.  
  
"Probably not," he admitted, "but until he calls again it's all we've got. When he does call, we've got units all over the city ready to move in, if we can get a trace." Before anyone could respond, the phone rang. Francine answered and gestured to Billy, who picked up another receiver while Francine placed her's on speaker.  
  
"Mr. Melrose," Tucker's voice rang out from the top of the desk.  
  
"Yes, Tucker; it's me."  
  
"Good. So, what's it to be? Do I send your agent back to you in a box or would you rather cooperate so that Mrs. King will make it home in time for dinner with her lovely children?"  
  
Remington saw the fury flash across Lee's face. "How do I know she's still alive?" Billy asked before Lee could open his mouth.  
  
"You have to trust me. Now, enough stalling." He began to yell as he became frustrated. "Decision time, Billy."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Billy looked at Francine, who had been monitoring the trace equipment. She looked up at him and nodded. He closed his eyes and exhaled. "No deal." The sound was barely more than a whisper, but in the unusual silence of the bullpen it was perfectly clear.  
  
Lee grabbed Remington by the arm and began to head out the double glass doors. He knew that Francine would radio Tucker's position to him as soon as the line was disconnected. Before they made it through the doors however, he heard Tucker's angry response. "How does it feel to have the blood of an agent on you hands?" The line went dead.  
  
Part 16:  
  
The Corvette peeled out of it's parking spot on the street in front of the Agency's Georgetown foyer. Glancing over to check on Remington, Lee noticed the absolute terror on the man's face. Lee wasn't sure if he was scared of his driving, or worried about Laura. Before Lee could say anything, the car phone rang.  
  
"Where is he?" Steele demanded into the receiver. Lee could hear Francine's voice reciting an address down by the docks. After hanging, Steele turned to Lee. "You heard?"  
  
"Yeah. I know the area. Hold tight. We'll be there in no time." With that, Lee's foot hit the accelerator even harder and the sleek car dodged in between the late day traffic.  
  
A short time later, they pulled up next to several warehouses. Remington pointed out the window toward a shoddy phone booth. "There. Okay, that's where he called from, but where are out partners?"  
  
Part 17:  
  
Inside what had once been a manager's office, Tucker wrung his hands together as he paced furiously. "Great! Now how am I going to get out of the country?" He paused in his circuitous trek to glance through an observation window. An evil grin crossed his face as he stared at the women through the glass. "Oh well. For now, I have a job to finish here. I'll deal with the details later." He reached into his waistband and pulled out a handgun. Checking the clip, he found that it was loaded. "I love my work," he exclaimed slamming the clip back in place.  
  
  
Lee and Remington had already searched two of the neighboring warehouses when an Agency van pulled up. Francine emerged, pistol in hand. "About time," Lee commented as he signaled the other agents where to go search.   
  
"Sorry," she drew out, "but this thing's not as maneuverable as a sports car, you know." She patted the side of the large utility van for emphasis. With a nod from Lee, the trio continued on to the next warehouse.  
  
  
Tucker brandished his gun as he approached the women. He stopped mere inches from Amanda and stared into her eyes. She returned the stare without even a waver. "I'm impressed, Mrs. King. Most people, even agents, can't look death in the face and show no fear."  
  
"It was not my intent to impress you, Mr. Tucker." Amanda's response was calm and relaxed. Internally, she wondered where this strength was coming from. She had so many regrets. She knew she was about to die and all she wanted was to be able to tell Phillip and Jamie how much she loved them. Then there was Lee. She'd never have the time to figure out her feelings for him. Despite her fears and feelings of loss, she kept her head high and her eyes locked on Tucker's.  
  
Laura had heard the short exchange, of course, and she could hardly believe the sound of Amanda's voice. It sounded so...cool, icy cool. The women had been holding hands where they were cuffed together around the girder, so Laura knew that Amanda's palms were sweaty, but apparently that would be Amanda's only sign of nervousness.  
  
Tucker stared at the dark brown eyes before him another moment. They were clear and uncompromising. "Very well, then," he said at last as he took several steps back and began to raise his gun.  
  
Francine had pushed at the door with all her might while the men searched for another entrance into the final warehouse. At last, the door gave way with a loud groan. Francine practically fell into the open space, but caught herself just before she hit the ground.  
  
At the sound of the door opening, Tucker shifted his aim and quickly fired off several shots into the now open doorway. Francine felt the heat of the bullets as they whizzed by overhead. She decided the ground was a much better place to be after all and allowed herself to continue falling. Although she was momentarily blinded while her eyes adjusted to the dark interior from the sunny outdoors, she had a pretty good idea who had fired those shots. She aimed her weapon up slightly and called out, "Freeze, Tucker." She didn't dare fire a shot for fear of hitting Amanda or Laura.  
  
At the sound of the first shot, Lee and Steele had raced back to the entrance. They peered into the open darkness and could just barely make out shapes. After Francine called to Tucker, Lee crawled up next to her with Remington on her other side. "Francine," Lee whispered, "can you see anything yet?"  
  
"Just barely," she responded but was cut-off by the sound of Amanda's voice. "Lee!" she called. All three heads turned in the direction of the sound. "Lee, Laura and I are in the middle of the warehouse, slightly to your left."  
  
"Good girl, Amanda," Lee said under his breath, knowing that Amanda was giving them a map. Then she continued, "Tucker ran into an office straight ahead of you. He can see you from a window."  
  
By now, Francine's vision was clearing up. "Lee, I can see the office. Tucker must be under cover in there because I can't see him. Now what?" Just then, the back-up team of half-dozen agents arrived and they prepared to storm the office if necessary.  
  
Steele saw the back-up team's arrival and declared, "I'm going to go free Laura and Amanda. You guys take care of our friend. Cover me."  
  
Before Lee could protest, Steele had begun a crouched run across the open expanse. Tucker started firing through the open doorway of the office almost immediately. Francine and Lee returned fire. The plate glass window shattered, followed by Tucker's yells for help. Francine and the back-up team cautiously headed toward the office.  
  
"Mr. Steele!" Laura exclaimed as he grew nearer to the women. "What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"I could ask you the same thing, my dear," he smoothly replied as he produced his lock-picks and began undoing her handcuffs.  
  
With a huff, Laura turned away. She began massaging her recently freed hands as Remington released Amanda. "Mr. Steele, I presume," Amanda said with a pleasant smile and a nod.  
  
He smiled a lopsided smile in return. "And you must be Mrs. King."  
  
Lee's approach caught Amanda's attention before she could respond. He enveloped her slim form with his strong arms. They held each other for a long while as Lee buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent deeply.  
  
Meanwhile, Remington had taken Laura's hands in his own and was gently rubbing his thumbs over them. "Really, Laura, are you all right?" His tone was soft and full of concern.  
  
For a moment, her heart was light and she wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms. Then the softness of her expression melted away as the ever-present anxiety took over again. She pulled her hands away suddenly before replying, "I'm fine, Mr. Steele, but I won't be if my agency has fallen apart while you've been chasing after me. What did you do, anyway? Just put a, 'Sorry, we're closed' sign on the door and hop on a plane to D.C.?"  
  
He knew her avoidance patterns all too well, but he decided to not jump at the bait for now. They would have plenty of time for talk later. "I missed you, too, Laura." He pulled her into a soft but full kiss.  
  
Lee watched the other couple kissing over Amanda's shoulder. He wished he could kiss Amanda that way, too. 'Not yet, but soon,' he thought. "You know, partner," he said as their embrace ended, "you had me pretty worried...again!"  
  
"Really?" Amanda teased. "I wasn't worried at all. I knew you'd find us!" She smiled radiantly at him.  
  
Together, the couples moved to the office area where Francine was dealing with Tucker. He sat in an old chair clutching his right arm with his left hand. There was a large glass shard protruding from the forearm and multiple small nicks and scratches covered his face and hands. Francine joined the quartet. "He got pretty banged up when that window broke. He said that he has no feeling in his right hand. We're just waiting for the paramedic team now." Looking over the small, diverse group she saw the physical and emotional exhaustion etched in their faces. "Why don't you guys go on back to the Agency and I'll meet you there later?" Her offer was accepted with appreciative nods as she headed back in to Tucker.  
  
Conclusion:  
  
It was late when Amanda pulled her station wagon into the driveway. They had each been through physical exams and independently debriefed by Agency interrogators. Now, as she put the car in 'park', Amanda drew a deep, calming breath. She shut off the engine and withdrew the keys. Then she noticed Laura staring at her. She smiled and asked, "What is it, Laura?" although she had a pretty good idea what was making her favorite cousin speechless.  
  
Laura recovered her senses enough to respond. "Now what? I mean, what are you going to tell you Mother? Won't she wonder why we're so late? Besides, we look a mess!"  
  
"Well, remember I told her this morning that we would be going out to dinner, so she expected us to be late. And, we're really not such a mess. We both washed up at the Agency and we've been sightseeing all day so we're bound to be a little...disheveled. Perfectly normal," Amanda finished with a slight tilt to her head and realized that it was perfectly normal, for her anyway.  
  
Together the ladies entered the cozy home. "Oh, Amanda!" Dotty's voice called from the living room. "I was wondering if you were ever coming home," she continued as the cousins passed her on the couch as they headed for the kitchen.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mother. We were having such a wonderful evening, I guess we lost track of the time." Laura nearly openly gaped at Amanda as the casual lie rolled easily off her tongue. It was one thing for her to exaggerate the truth to potential clients concerning Mr. Steele's validity, but to blatantly lie to her Mother was not at all in the character of the Amanda she knew.  
  
"That's nice, dear. Well, I'm off to bed! The boys left their homework on the dining room table if you want to look it over before morning." Dotty started up the stairs as Amanda answered, "Thank you, Mother. I'll look at it before work tomorrow. Goodnight, Mother."  
  
"Goodnight, Aunt Dotty," Laura managed.  
  
"Goodnight, Amanda. Laura, dear," Dotty called back from midway up the flight.  
  
Laura was turning back toward Amanda when a light rapping at the backdoor caught her attention. "Now what?" she asked in a loud whisper. Amanda just smiled and gestured for her to follow. They exited the house to the warm spring night. There, in Amanda's yard, were two very tall, very dark, very handsome men.  
  
Amanda approached Lee quickly and he immediately reached out to hug her. Upon separating he said, "Sorry it took us so long to get over here. Dr. Smyth had a few questions for me after the debriefing."  
  
"That's okay. Mother just went to bed anyway." They smiled at each other and moved closer. He watched her eyes focus on his mouth before they started to close. Their mouths drew closer still until...  
  
"Wait a minute!" Laura exclaimed, stopping their lips a fraction of an inch apart. They turned in unison to hear what she had to say. "Let me get this straight." She pointed at Amanda. "You're a spy," Lee cringed and Amanda patted his arm placatingly, "but nobody knows it. You're her partner," she indicated Lee, "but nobody even knows you exist. So, by day you work to protect national security and by night you go to the PTA and double-check your kids' homework? Then, after everyone else is in bed, you, what? Sneak out here to the backyard for some kind of secret rendezvous?"  
  
"Pretty much, yeah. I explained most of this to you at the warehouse, Laura," Amanda said.  
  
Nodding, Laura continued, "Yeah, I know, but until we walked in the house tonight and I heard you lie to your Mother before agreeing to look over the boys' assignments it didn't really hit home. I think I need to sit down." Remington, who had been silently observing to this point, guided her to a lawn chair.  
  
Amanda knelt next to her. "I won't pretend it's easy, it's not. Some parts are harder than others," she looked pointedly at Lee. They both wished he could meet her family and be a part of all their lives. "But, in the end, I love what I do, I'm good at it, and I feel like it's the right thing. Maybe, someday, when Phillip and Jamie are older I'll be able to be more honest, but for now it has to be this way. So, I do what I have to."  
  
"It's all so...complicated!" Laura uttered.  
  
Remington smiled and held her hand, "Oh, I don't know, I think it's pretty romantic," he said softly.  
  
The foursome sat up late chatting under the moonlight. As the men were about to leave, Lee and Amanda moved aside to give Laura and Remington some privacy.  
  
After several unsuccessful attempts at starting, Laura finally managed, "Mr. Steele, about that night in your apartment and what you wanted to tell me, I'm not ready to hear it. I'm not sure..." she died off as she looked down at her feet.  
  
Stealing himself against the deception he was about to perpetrate, Remington took a deep breath, "I don't understand, Laura. What do you mean you're not ready to hear that I love being Remington Steele? You knew that's what I was saying didn't you?" His heart collapsed in his chest as he again covered up his feelings. But, if there was one thing he'd learned from his experience in D.C., it was that sometimes deceptions are necessary to protect the ones you love the most.  
  
"What?" Laura looked up; shocked by his statements. Was he lying? She looked into his blue eyes and saw a love so deep her breath caught in her throat. She recovered quickly. "Of course, I mean what else could you have meant to say?" She smiled at him, grateful that he'd given her this easy out.  
  
As he looked back at her, he saw it. She knew. He knew she knew. There it was then. They both knew how he felt, and they both silently agreed to keep it unspoken, at least for now.  
  
Lee and Amanda embraced again. As Remington approached them to leave, Lee gave Amanda a brief kiss on the cheek. Then the men were gone.  
  
"Amanda," Laura inquired. "What's next?" The day had left her frazzled beyond belief. 'How does Amanda do it? And I thought my life was confusing!' she wondered.  
  
"Now we go to bed. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted!" They entered the house and climbed the stairs in silence.  
  
The End 


End file.
